Mersmann finishes in top 25 at Grand Rapids ArtPrize

By the Midland Daily News

Published
9:00 am EDT, Saturday, October 1, 2011

After the first round of voting, Armin Mersmann, Studio School manager at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art at Midland Center for the Arts, has finished in the top 25 artists at ArtPrize 2011. His entry, Four Gates of Sanctuarium, consists of four oil paintings - Phantom, Right of Passage, In Red Flux, and Winter Red - with surrounds of wood treated to create a trompe l’oeil effect of oxidation.

“There are very few opportunities in which an artist can display their work for over 100,000 individuals during a one-week period,” said Mersmann. “I had the chance to speak to people from all walks of life about my work. A great by-product of ArtPrize is that it makes a wide variety of art accessible to a significant portion of the public.”

Valerie Allen, retail sales and guest services manager at MCFTA, was pleased with her experience exhibiting her mixed-media entry, Composer’s Campaign: Taiko, at St. Cecelia Music Center.

“I chose this particular venue due to the musical theme of my work this year,” said Allen. “I am thrilled that I was be asked to return to St. Cecilia’s for a one-person show in February. The networking opportunities presented by ArtPrize are invaluable.”

The second round of voting includes only the top 10 finalists and continues through Oct. 5. Final results will be announced on Oct. 6.

Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize is an open competition featuring the world’s largest cash prize for art: $449,000 total, with $250,000 going to the first-place winner. Winners are determined by a vote from visitors. This year’s competition runs through Oct. 9.